Like a Cherry River
by RubberDuckyPinwheels
Summary: Zack’s past has always been filled with mystery, and certain things have never been revealed. Such as his history with a certain red-headed Turk and what that man goes through when the SOLDIER that he was forced to hunt down like a wild animal left his li
1. Prologue

Author: TynDawn

**Author: **_TynDawn_

**Rating: **_R for this chapter, mostly language, etc_

**Warnings (If any): **_Suggestive situations, Language_

**Pairing(s): **_ZackxReno Only hints for this chapter_

**Disclaimer:**_ I am in no way affiliated with Square-enix and do not own any of the mentioned characters, places, etc... and am merely borrowing them for entertainment purposes and will return them in mint condition back to the shelf from whence they came._

**Summary: **_Zack's past has always been filled with mystery, and certain things have never been revealed. Such as his history with a certain red-headed Turk and what that man goes through when the SOLDIER that he was forced to hunt down like a wild animal left his life forever._

**Author's Notes: **_Well, here I am, At home all angsty and lame for not writing for such a long time. I'm sick of being lazy, even If I work…so now, I write and feel less lazy. No real story behind this little…urrr, thing that you are about to read, I raided a yaoi generator for inspiration and turned everything NC-17, cus I can nn Enjoy! And review!!_

**: Prologue :**

_In a time that no one knew_

"You afraid of a little skinny-dipping Reno?"

The laugh from a dark-haired male echoed in his ears, reminding him that he still had no idea how he'd met the mako-glowing eyed youth just a few years younger than himself.

"Heh, Afraid, what the hell you talkin' bout, yo!" The curt remark from an eagerly stripping red-head had followed just after the Turk's socks had begun dangling upon a tree-branch that was too high to reach later.

"Well, come on then, before someone ends up looking," Zack paused, giving a round of laughter as he backed down into the hidden lake, his eyes sparkling in naïve mischief as he caught sight of Reno's line of vision, "Speaking of '_looking_,'" He snorted, silently insinuating that Reno had been…staring.

The red-head fought off his flush, throwing a scowl over at Zack, "I'm not _looking_," He rolled his eyes, "It's called window-shopping," He defended himself as he plucked the jacket off of his back and threw it to the thicket of grass, allowing it to be mauled by the stare dandelions and wildflowers that tickled over the fabric.

"Oh, is that right?" The SOLDIER cocked an eyebrow up curiously as he coyly crossed his arms over his chest, blocking Reno's view and right to window-shopping. "Enjoying yourself, are you?" He grinned all too cat-like for his own good.

Damn that SOLDIER. He had no idea what the hell he was doing, did he?

But despite that, Reno found himself both glad and shocked at the coldness of the water when he began to wade in, especially when it crept up and between his thighs, sliding up and around his stomach as he slunked in deeper after the spiky-haired rascal known as Zack Fair.

How could the water in Gongaga be so cold when it was so warm and humid on land?

"More than you know," Reno muttered to himself, not fully wanting to admit it, but wanting to have the last word anyway.

Zack only laughed at Reno's disposition as the Turk began to shudder from the cool sting of the lake's depth. "You cold, Reno?" He smirked over at him as he drew in a gulp of breath and ducked under the water, sending an unintentional splash of water over at the Turk who gave out an unhappy curse-word in protest.

When Zack resurfaced, he couldn't stop his laughter when he saw Reno with his hair plastered down to the top of his head and tiny beadlets of water tracing the lines down his chest, down below the surface of the water. Zack trudged over to him, crisp water swirling around his middle, as he neared the Turk.

"You look like a drowned chicken," He observed in mild amusement, to which Reno gave a half-hearted glare.

"I'm a Turk, not a chicken, yo," Reno defended himself cattily.

"I could have called you a cock," Zack lifted his arms as he gave a careless shrug, holding back a laugh, even if it showed through those glowing eyes.

Reno pursed his lips in a child-like manner, protesting as he threw a splash of water at the childish SOLDIER, "You're the cock!" He hissed out, though…there was not a pinch of hostility, just his lack of patience for others.

Zack laughed and shielded himself from the biting water, "Well, I'm the only one here who has one," His laughter became louder when he saw the Turk's flustered expression, the way that Reno seemed to struggle mentally for words that could better express his frustration.

But before Reno could get any words out, he suddenly found himself beneath the surface of the freezing water, the stinging cold liquid nipping at his skin and forcing his hair to stand on end. But, that's when his eyes opened.

Zack really was skinny dipping after all.

There were no pants. No trousers. No uniform slacks. Not even any boxers. No briefs. Not even any tidy-whities. No nothing to hide himself or give himself any sense of modesty.

Right there, right in front of the Turk's nose was…

Was…

Reno's breath bubbled out through his lips, his arms thrashing above the surface as his face suddenly darkened in color, his heart jumping up into his throat at the sight that he'd just been exposed to.

He coughed wildly when Zack finally pulled him back to the surface, the Turk unable to hold himself up had practically fallen into Zack's arms, not caring or noticing that they were so much closer now. His eyes watered slightly from the lack of air and the strain that had been put upon his lungs, the ache that stung his throat from the taste of lake water, and the burning invading his nasal cavity.

However, it was all blown away when something found his lips.

Something warm, moist and tasting faintly of lake-water…but mostly of fresh-air and cinnamon.

Lips?

Yes…lips.

_LIPS?!_

Reno's eyes widened as air was suddenly forced into his lungs, his eyes flittering as he suddenly jerked away, water being coughed to his side as his fingers dug into Zack's shoulders.

"Wh…what're…you?!" He practically panicked, still trying to catch his breath as his eyes squeezed shut.

Damn, that hurt.

What the hell was that kid _thinking_?! Was he trying to kill him or what?!

"What the _hell_, man?!" Reno finally managed to blurt out, still confused about that…that thing…

…That…kiss?

_K…kiss?_

Was that what it was?

No…it couldn't be.

"Well, I wanted to kiss you, but…it sorta turned into a rescue mission," Zack explained, a lop-sided smile clutching onto his features as he continued to hold up Reno with one arm, while his free hand scratched at the back of his head.

'_Wanted to kiss? Kiss?! KISS?!'_

Reno's features contorted, and flooded with something of a flush…though, he'd never admit it.

"Y'know Reno, you're pretty cute when you don't say anything," Zack's end of the conversation continued on as his sword calloused fingertips picked away the goggles that were permanently mounted to Reno's forehead.

For once in his life, Reno was speechless

…really speechless.

But…there was something about the situation that had Reno's mind going more than a mile-a-minute. It was racing, just like his heartbeat.

Zack really didn't know what he did to Reno. He had no idea just how many times Reno had dreamed about the SOLDIER, no idea how many of Reno's fantasies that he himself had stared in and made up an entire cast to. Zack just didn't know that Reno felt something for him that the Turk had never once known before.

Zack didn't know that he gave Reno a feeling that terrified the shit out of him.

But of course, they were both lucky that that wasn't a literal statement.

"Yeah," Reno snorted, his nerves distorting the sound of his voice when he suddenly realized that their thighs were touching, "Well…" He looked away in frustration and fluster as he mumbled out, "You're pretty _cute_ too, when you're not trying to knock me off like a hit-man,"

Zack grinned to himself and twirled the goggles around his finger contently before flicking them to the shore-line, not even bothering to watch the way that they skittered over dirt and rubble. But…Reno watched and gave the most playful and sinister looking smirk that he possibly could, pulling the two of them so close that it was almost unbearably.

Each and every part of their anatomy brushing and touching as Reno plundered Zack's mouth, making no request to excavate the cavern of his mouth and only pulling away when breath was absolutely necessary. His lips shook lightly from the cold as he lingered close to Zack, his eyes half-lidded and Zack's wide and thrilled to the core. Hot breath passed between them as Reno's hands continued to cling onto wet skin, his throat shivering as he whispered out lightly, "You looked…like you needed a little more air," He leaned towards him once more, tipping his head as their lower-lips grazed one another, "Yo…"

For one of the first times…

No.

For the _VERY_ first time ever in Reno's life…

He _really_ felt alive, and he didn't have to kill someone just to achieve that feeling.

Zack had given it to him, by just being alive.


	2. Find it Ease

: Part One :

**: Part One :**

_Find it ease_

**Author: **_TynDawn_

**Rating: **_NC-17 For this chapter_

**Warnings (If any): **_Masturbation, Object insertion_

**Pairing(s): **_Hints toward ZackxReno, RodxReno (( It's just amusing, in my head at least ))_

**Disclaimer:**_ I am in no way affiliated with Square-enix and do not own any of the mentioned characters, places, etc... and am merely borrowing them for entertainment purposes and will return them in mint condition back to the shelf from whence they came._

**Summary: **_Zack's past has always been filled with mystery, and certain things have never been revealed. Such as his history with a certain red-headed Turk and what that man goes through when the SOLDIER that he was forced to hunt down like a wild animal left his life forever._

**Author's Notes: **_Once again, I try to write a one-shot, and what happens? It's not a one-shot anymore!! Gah…anywhosits, this was really fun to write, I hope that you guys all enjoy it and please review _

"…_Before someone ends up looking…"_

He could hear it again,

"…_Enjoying yourself, are you...?"_

Just like the night before,

"…_You look like a drowned chicken…"_

And the one before that,

"…_I wanted to kiss you, but…"_

He couldn't get it to go away, or stop.

"…_When you don't say anything…"_

Reno couldn't _do_ anything.

"…_You're pretty cute…"_

It had been years. Five years. More than five damned years since he'd seen Zack. Since he'd seen that playful grin that was the only rival to his own, since he'd heard that voice, and seen those surreal eyes.

More than five solid years since Reno had kissed him.

Zack Fair.

Zack fuckin' Fair.

The name was still bitter on his lips, and still caused his throat to sting. No matter what he was doing, no matter who he was doing at the time…he just couldn't get that damned SOLDIER out of his mind.

But…why was it so hard?

Zack was dead.

He was fucking dead,

And he was never coming back.

_Never_.

There was a chance that this reality was what had left Reno so bitter, so sarcastic, and so much more sharp-tongued than he'd ever been before. But who could really blame him? Well…since no one knew about what happened with Zack, everyone could and did blame him for his sour attitude.

Who did Reno blame?

He blamed Zack.

It was all his fault.

If Zack hadn't always been so coy. If Zack hadn't always come onto him like that. If Zack hadn't been so handsome, so insanely handsome and world-rocking. If Zack hadn't been so charming, so virtuous, so dashing, so…loving…Maybe he wouldn't have lov…

No, if Zack hadn't have been those things, He just wouldn't have been Zack.

And that wouldn't have been right at all.

That's all that there was to it.

And if there was one thing that Reno never would have changed on this Earth, It was Zack. Everything about Zack. Every single thing was perfect.

From those haunting eyes, to his ridiculous hair-style, to that big dumb goofy grin he tossed around like spare change, to the way that he would pout out his lips like a child while begging foolishly, and even the way that he used to do squats before he went to bed every night and even when he first woke up every morning.

There were far too many things about Zack that he missed, even though he would never tell a soul. Not a single one. Not Rufus, not Tseng, Elena, Reeve…Hell, not even Rude. But…there were a lot of things that Reno never told anyone.

This was just one more thing, right?

No…wrong.

Zack was more than a thing.

Zack was everything.

And he was exactly what Reno missed on one specific Autumn night when the air would nip at exposed skin and tease deviously at uncovered ears and noses. Tonight, that air carrying the fresh scent of leaves, dew, and moonbeams drifted in through an open window of Reno's apartment, the very same apartment that was so far away from trees, grass, or any living form of nature.

The apartment; with it's dark fabrics and plush, the blocky industrial detailing of the kitchen and the doorframes, the simplistic decorating and it's shabby paint job, that would seem so warm and worn-in…was freezing. Absolutely freezing.

But Reno, on the other hand was absolutely burning-up, at least on the inside.

His lanky form and tawny muscles were strewn out over the mess of navy blue blankets and sheets, his thin limbs entangled and hanging from one side of the bed. His pale form that contrasted so well with that fiery red hair of his was exposed almost completely, his only modesty other than the bits of sheets were a pair of thin black cotton boxers.

It was pathetic…but, they belonged to Zack.

They were, his only connection to Zack anymore. The only real thing that he had left. The only thing about Zack that he could physically hang on to when he needed the SOLDIER. Which was of course, twenty-four-seven.

But despite the comfort that they brought, they were almost a burden…that terrible reminder that Zack would never return to take them back like he used to.

It wasn't like the two of them had ever…

…Ever slept together, but Reno –being the joker that he was- found it all too comical to sneak away a pair of Zack's boxers from time to time. He always said that it was to see if Zack would notice, but…that was a lie. The only reason he did it was to make sure that Zack kept coming back around, whether he really wanted to or not.

But damn, he wished that he would have had that chance to be with Zack like that.

He wished that he had memories like that to look back on, but…he had to imagine, had to pretend.

Reno had no fond romantic memories of moonlit evenings and candlelight dinners that led up to passionate nights spent by fire-places or tangled in sticky bed-sheets. He didn't have anything like that…with Zack.

He'd been with more than enough people. He should have died of dozens of different diseases by now; someone should have quarantined him and shot him by now, but no. He was still here, and he was still needing Zack, just like when they first met.

As the Turk let his mind wander away with him, his aqua-hued eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, a milky-glaze lingering in those eyes, baring even blinking anymore. But…a battle raged in the depths of those orbs.

A battle to break down, or just keep on holding it back.

After far too long of being unable to make his mind stop, Reno let out a low growl, his eyes showing the first sign of emotion as his brows knitted together in a sudden frustration as he proceeded to flinging the blankets off of his form.

"Fuck it, just fuck it!"

He growled out, nearly shredding the blankets when he finally became so flustered that he just balled them up and threw them against the wall, ignoring the mirror that tumbled down and shattered in the corner.

Pausing, he bit down on his lip, staring down between his legs, the look in his eyes growing more desperate by the minute.

Dammit.

He just had to be thinking about Zack.

Again…like always.

Even after all this time, those thoughts of Zack never failed to excite him, and…there was only one way to get rid of it.

Groaning out unhappily, he flopped back down against the bed, his head hitting the pillow and causing him to wince as the pony-tail holder in the back of his head ground into the back of his skull. Reaching back with lean fingers, he pulled the hair-thing away and threw that across the room just like he had with the blanket, this time hitting the door instead of another mirror.

Those impossibly long locks of vermillion satin fanned out beneath him when he laid back down, stretched out like flames against the dull blue cotton sheets.

His eyes closed in frustration, his breath going lower and deeper as his body became hotter and continued to ache more and more.

It took him only a moment to move his hand down his chest, dancing silently over his sweating skin, ghosting over tender nerves before his fingers began to pluck at his waistband. Or rather, Zack's waistband.

A hoarse gasp suddenly jumped from his lips as he lowered his hand further, palming himself through the front of those boxers, feeling a damp wet spot already forming, surprise evident in the tone of that single sound. His back jerked lightly as he wrapped his fingers around his clothed erection, the fibers slightly scratchy on his sensitive flesh, massaging it wonderfully.

His other hand lifted to his mouth, playing lightly over his lips as he imagined that those fingertips belonged to Zack. Letting his imagination take over, he pushed the digits past his lips, his tongue curling around one and then another, sucking them…just the way that he would have done so to Zack, had he had the chance.

However, as he increased the pressure of the teasing upon his lower-half, he suddenly bit down upon his fingers, jerking his hand from his lips. Nothing but a tiny strand of saliva connecting his lips to what he wished were Zack's sword calloused and sun-tanned fingertips.

His breath suddenly hitched in his throat as his hips jerked up into his grasp, but…it just wasn't enough.

Roughly, he shoved his own pants down the front of those boxers, tightly gripping himself as he moaned out thickly, his head tossing back in ecstasy.

It's how he imagined Zack would have done it.

If Zack had been here, he would have been teasing and coy, never quite giving Reno what he wanted, but being forceful and somewhat demanding at the same time, even if his only goal was to get Reno to cry out for him.

Zack was far too selfless for his own good.

Reno's hips continued to jerk, moving up into his own hand as he ground down his teeth. But…his mind still wanted to believe that it was Zack, so in accordance, his fingertips slide away, teasing only at the tip, swirling lightly and not squeezing enough to accomplish anything. Suddenly with the slip of a thumbnail over the bare and leaking tip, Reno cried out, his partially open eyes clouding over as his lips parted and hung slack, his lungs straining for oxygen.

His own fingers were just too smooth, they weren't like Zack's, they weren't close enough.

But…he didn't care, besides…he needed more than just fingers teasing the sensitive skin in the open….he needed something, anything, to tease and torture the skin inside of him.

Letting out a choked out moan, he pulled his hand away, lowering both of his hands to his hips, slowly and almost seductively sliding the boxers down his thighs and below his knees, tugging them away from his feet…but, he didn't throw them across the room, instead, he carefully allowed them to pool in a single spot upon the bed. Right next to him.

Fully exposed to the night air, he closed his eyes momentarily and let out a low breathy moan, arching his hips up against a pretend body as he spread his fingers between his loins, pressing down just enough to give resistance when he arched. Just a little bit of friction.

It was all too exciting.

Too arousing.

And just too hot.

But gods, if Zack had really been there…No, he didn't want to think that.

He wanted to believe that Zack was really there.

Well…in a way, Zack was there…wasn't he? And not just because he was haunting his undergarments, but because Zack was watching over him, right? He was in the lifestream anyway…right? And didn't the ones in the lifestream watch over the ones still on the planet?

That's what Reno thought.

No. That's what Reno hoped.

Wished for.

"Nnnnhh, Z…Za…"

No matter how much he wanted to say it, it hurt. Made his throat sting and his eyes burn.

Gulping in gasps of air, he craned his neck back, lowering his hands to the bed as he lifted his hips up, grabbing a nearby pillow and wadding it up, propping it beneath himself as he writhed wantonly against the cool night air.

If Zack was there, if Zack was watching, Reno was going to give him a show dammit.

It was the least that he could do.

His fingers once against found his mouth, his tongue slathering them liberally before he pulled them away with a 'pop!' Taking a deep breath, he lowered his hand down, wasting none of the lubrication as he slipped them against the puckered muscle of his entrance. He whined out almost pathetically, turning half-lidded eyes to the ceiling as he purred out, a look of pain mingled with desperation crossing his eyes.

"You…watchin'…Z...ack…?"

A whisper was all that escaped his lips before he suddenly plunged his finger deep inside himself, past the rings of muscle made to protect and guard such a secret channel. His breath suddenly caught in his throat as his free hand suddenly snapped behind himself and groped for the head-board, needing stability that should have been offered by Zack.

"Ngh, C…ome on…"

He moaned out through gritted teeth, forcing another slicked finger into himself, causing a higher-pitched sound to flee from the confines of his throat.

Gods…it felt good.

It was hot, and made his skin tingle, made his thighs quiver and made his blood boil, his member twitch with need and desperation.

But, he needed more than fingers.

Jerking his hips down against his fingers, he hissed in disappointment.

This just wasn't enough for him, he could be so much fuller than this. He needed it.

Needed to fill the void.

Physically…and emotionally.

Giving out an unhappy growl, he jerked his hand away, his breath coming in pants as he sat up. Marine-toned eyes searching the dark frantically.

There!

That was perfect!

…Almost.

Either way, he grabbed it, snatching up his e-mag rod and laying back down on the bed.

This would work? Right? Hell no, he wouldn't turn it on, but…he could use it. It would definitely fit. Maybe Zack had been this big. But…Zack wouldn't be so cold.

Absently, Reno ran his palms over the surface of the rod, feeling cold metal.

It was disappointing.

After all, Zack would have had flesh, unless his cock was robotic and Reno just didn't know but…if Zack was normal as far as penises went…

He would have been so hot for Reno, so hard and so…so wet. Zack would have been burning for him.

As these thoughts passed through Reno, he felt himself growing all the more excited and exhilarated.

He let himself fall away into imagination, lifting the rod with both hands to his lips, curling his tongue over the tip and scowling at the taste of metal. Either way, he continued, sliding his tongue along the sides, leaving thing trails of saliva that lightly ran down onto his own fingers due to the force of gravity.

Of course, he imagined that it was Zack.

That Zack was being tortured and taunted by his tongue, that he was able to tease Zack for once…and just like this.

Pulling the rod into his mouth, he purred around it, closing his eyes as he pushed it deeper before pulling it out and coaxing it back inside with his tongue.

For long moments, he pushed it into his mouth and ever so slightly down his throat, only to pull it back and keep at it, going just a little bit faster…pretending, imagining, wishing that he wasn't just forcing a weapon down his throat and wishing that it was Zack straddling his head and fucking his mouth.

That was what he really wanted but…

He couldn't have it, he couldn't have that.

Ever.

Finally, when breath escaped him, he jerked it from his mouth, his breath heavy and his lips now bruised from the harsh and inflexible metal.

Reno didn't even notice but…his eyes were watering.

Actually, that was a lie.

He was crying, he was full-out crying…just like a three-year-old that couldn't have a sucker after visiting the doctor. Of course, Reno's reason was more liable…but still, he didn't care.

Trying to catch his breath, he shook his head as he adjusted his hips, shakily lowering the rod between his legs.

Gods…

It was huge.

Maybe it really wouldn't fit.

But maybe, just maybe it would.

He took the chance…

And less than a second later, he was screaming.

Loud.

Tears fell from his eyes as he forced nearly half of the rod deep inside of himself. Oh gods. It hurt. It hurt.

Hissing out, he gave a choking sound as he wrenched his hips, trying to find comfort in another angle, but only succeeding in making the skin stretch and burn.

"Sh…shit!" He moaned to himself, tiny trails of tears tracing and illuminating his cheekbones in the night…but, they weren't tears brought on by the physical pain. The pain beneath him, was nothing like the pain wracking his chest, his mind, everything else.

"Za…ack!!" He sobbed out, suddenly clapping one hand over his mouth as an uncontrollable cry fled from his lips. Despite the pain, he kept his hand moving, shoving that rod deep inside of him until it scraped and pressed against that tiny pleasure center, only retracting it when it became almost too much, drawing it all the way out and sheathing it back inside.

The rhythm became faster and faster, his movements grew jerkier and more of erratic, driving himself quickly to the edge. His chest was wracked with painful cries as he moaned out, trying to breath through his sobs as he screwed his eyes shut tight, still unable to escap Zack's eyes, that stare.

"Hhh…nnn…a…AH!" He arched painfully off of the bed, digging his nails into the sides of his mouth as he screamed out, his lungs aching from the effort as white hot liquid poured across his stomach. His thighs were trembling, his fingers shaking and that rod still wedged deep inside of him.

It was nothing like Zack would have been.

It had been cold, unforgiving, unyielding, almost torturous and he'd just known that it had torn him. Maybe that was why he didn't pull it out yet? Falling limp against the bed, he bit his lip, his face twisting in that deep horrid pain as he opened his eyes.

"D…Dammit, Zack…you bastard," He sobbed out quietly, meaning it only half-heartedly.

How could he blame Zack for dying, when Zack had faced thousands of infantrymen, and especially when Reno had been sent out to hunt him down and kill him himself?

Jerking the rod from inside of himself, he hissed and tossed it to the side before he rolled over and stared out of the open window.

"…Why?" He breathed out hoarsely, whimpering out pitifully as he closed his eyes, "It shouldn't…have been you…." He whispered breathily against the pillow, "It should have been m…" He cut that off and cursed some other heavenly creature once again, "…It shouldn't have been you,

…Shouldn't have been you,"

**Author's Notes:** _Okay, so the pairing was total crack, but I find them cute together. Anyway, yeah, I think this is the end of it…hope you liked it, lemme know!_


	3. An Anniversary, Missed

: Part Two :

**: Part Two :**

_In the most unlikely of places, Comfort_

**Author: **_TynDawn_

**Rating: **_Urrr…PG-13 to R…_

**Warnings (If any): **_Language After all, It's Reno Angst, _

**Pairing(s): **_ZackxReno Just hints again_

**Disclaimer:**_ I am in no way affiliated with Square-enix and do not own any of the mentioned characters, places, etc... and am merely borrowing them for entertainment purposes and will return them in mint condition back to the shelf from whence they came._

**Summary: **_Zack's past has always been filled with mystery, and certain things have never been revealed. Such as his history with a certain red-headed Turk and what that man goes through when the SOLDIER that he was forced to hunt down like a wild animal left his life forever._

**Author's Notes: **_Yeah…didn't think this was going to be so long, but ya know what? I actually really like it, so nyeah! Please review if you wanna see more!_

When the next morning had finally come to greet Reno, he was woken up quite rudely by his cell-phone ringing loudly from it's place upon the nightstand set neatly next to his bed. Giving a groan, he rolled his eyes and shivered when the breeze from the open window rolled over his still naked, sweat and cum encrusted form.

He gave an unhappy stare to the phone as he remembered the night before, but he quickly shook it away and reached for the phone, flipping it open and pressing it to his ear.

"Yo?"

"Reno…You're sleeping late again,"

Just like Reno might have expected, it was Rufus.

Turning his eyes, he stared at his clock.

_11:00 AM_

Well shit.

"Yeah, Sorry boss. I'll be there in a little while…okay?"

"Don't bother," Rufus cut him off quickly, Reno shut his lips obediently and looked down as he used one hand to push himself up, pushing the wild strands of untamed and uncontained hair over his shoulder, "You've been distracted lately Reno, I'm not the only one who's noticed." Rufus spoke up once again, idly staring out of the nearest window from his perch high above Midgar, "Rude's pointed it out several times by now, But I doubt he really knows anything about what could be distracting you, isn't that right?"

Reno gave a thick swallow.

Rufus was right. Not even Rude knew, even if he knew almost every other detail about the Turk's life, he didn't know this, he didn't know what was bothering Reno.

Zack, that bastard.

"I just…I don't know boss. I'm fine…" He pushed himself to his feet, and forced more confidence into his words, "I'm fine,"

He lied.

"Your tab from the Honey-Bee inn is less than a fourth of what it usually is," Rufus clarified quickly, "You're not fine,"

Reno scowled, and shook his head. Wait. How the hell did Rufus know that?

Shrugging it off, he trudged into the bathroom, after throwing the pair of boxers into the wash, not even caring about the rest of his clothes or sheets. "Shit boss, I'm not even gonna ask how you know that…but seriously, don't get all paranoid on me, just…" He groaned as he stretched his arms out, "Tell me what I need to do and I'll get it done. Where's Rude today anyway, yo?"

Rufus sighed in annoyance, "He's on a mission with Elena, It's nothing that you need to be concerned with…however, there is something that you could do for me," A tiny break of silence passed as he heard papers ruffling in the background, "I need you to go to Seventh Heaven, There's something that I need you to pick up from Cloud, some very important documents that I have arriving from Junon,"

Reno furrowed his brow as he turned on the water. What the hell? Why was Rufus sending him on stupid little errands like this. He was a Turk for Shiva's sake! He was no delivery-boy! That was Cloud's job.

"What?" Reno curled his lip, "He's a delivery-boy, isn't his job to _deliver_ it to you?"

"Yes, but since you aren't in today…you're going to have to do something to keep yourself out of trouble. Besides, you just said to me that you would do what I told you, you said that you would get it done." Reno could just feel the smugness emanating off of Rufus, "I expect you do to so,"

And with that, Reno was left, standing stark naked in his bathroom with an electronic voice telling him that the call had been dropped.

--

The shower had been soothing, but in the long-run, it had done him little good…other than make him smell much better of course.

Mmm, Mango, he noted absently.

He didn't even know how long he'd been in there, but the entire time, he was just thinking about having to go over to Cloud. Definitely not one of his favorite activities. In fact, he damn-well just didn't know if he wanted to go. Cloud wasn't a bad person, by any means, after all…he'd saved the planet, and defeated Sephiroth only Odin knew how many times by now, but still…

He was cold.

Cold and distant, and waaay too quiet to ever make Reno happy.

Cloud was like Reno's polar opposite.

That's exactly what they were.

Reno said what he wanted when the hell he wanted to, he liked his work and he liked to see just how many ways he could kill a man with a fork, his weapon was his best friend other than Rude, he couldn't seem to get enough of sex and booze, and he just…he was just Reno.

But Cloud…Cloud was a different story.

He barely said a word, he stayed away and didn't make close connections to anyone…ANYONE! He always acted like he held the entire fucking world on his shoulders, acted like there was always a stick up his ass, he never relaxed, never laughed, never smiled…and was just too…Cloud-ish.

Maybe that was once of the main things that Reno just didn't like about Cloud, the guy never smiled.

Sometimes, he even wondered if Cloud was human.

Human?

Reno laughed at that thought.

Cloud was no human.

Probably not to himself anyway. He could just imagine Cloud saying that he was some kind of monster…then again, that was exactly what Zack used to say…

Except for the fact that it was the other way around.

Everyone else had been saying that SOLDIER was full of monsters, but Zack…Zack wouldn't allow that. To Zack, they weren't monsters…they were there to protect the people. That was one of the things that made the overly silly SOLDIER so dangerous. He had way too much faith and confidence in SOLDIER, he just couldn't see the evil that laid beneath the surface. Maybe that was one of his greatest weaknesses too?

Reno gave himself a sour look as he stared at himself in the mirror. Shit. Just shut up, just shut up!

Why the hell was he still thinking of Zack after so many years?

Well duh, he knew why.

He loved him.

He fucking loved him.

Giving one last huff, Reno pulled on his clothes, pulled his hair back, fixed his goggles back on top of his head and snatched up his keys as he left his apartment.

He already knew he was pathetic for ever caring about Zack like that, but dammit, he wasn't going to let it drag him down…not anymore…

He just couldn't afford to do that anymore.

He couldn't keep risking it.

--

It didn't take Reno long to get down to Seventh Heaven, luckily, it wasn't really all that far. But as far as Reno was concerned, it was still a pain. Sure, Tifa was easy enough to deal with, and hell…the kids there; Denzel and Marlene even liked him. Only Shiva knew why though.

But even if part of Reno was dreading going down there, it really wasn't all that bad. After all, Rude and him had made several rounds down there; shootin' the breeze with Lockhart, playing around and teasing the kids, trying to make amends with Cloud…but totally and utterly failing. That's probably why he gave up.

Oh well…

He was there now, and there was no turning back.

After parking his car, he found his way to the front of the building, pondering over it idly as he lifted a brow to it in challenge as if they had some sort of silent rivalry going on between them.

--

"Oh…hi Reno,"

Tifa's voice greeted the red-headed Turk as soon as he opened the door. She was standing there, lightly dusted by the rays of light that were coming in through the window, cleaning off glasses behind the counter as she lined them up side-by-side and upside down to dry.

"Yo Lockhart," He said easily, soon finding a pair a young hands tugging at the side of his slacks. Looking down, he found Marlene's smiling face, "Hey there kid," Crouching down, he ruffled the hair on the top of the girl's head, "You seen Cloudy around here lately?" He asked, obviously making slight fun of Cloud by using such a preposterous little nickname, even if Tifa couldn't help but smile at it before going by to rinsing off the glass in her hand.

"Uh-huh!" Marlene answered with a smile and a giggle as she swatted Reno's hand away, grabbing his other hand as she quickly led him off, "He's been in there for a while, we haven't seen him all morning, I hope he's okay," She half-whispered in worry as she took him up to Cloud's office door. She waved him off and ran off when she heard Denzel calling her.

Reno examined the door for a moment, scratching at the back of his head before he knocked on it lightly with his knuckles.

No answer.

He gave a melodramatic sigh and slowly turned the knob, glancing inside.

The light's were off, but it definitely looked smaller than he'd thought it would be, even for Strife. Furrowing his brows, he looked around the office, catching sight of a desk scattered with papers and a phone, a closet for clothes, a small nightstand and a cot that could definitely only fit one person.

On that cot…was Cloud.

Or at the very least, a lump that resembled Cloud.

He was tangled in thin sky-blue sheets, only the top of his head was visible, along with the forearm that peeked out when he shifted his hand to cover the top of his head.

Reno looked over at him in confusion and gave something of a low laugh.

He didn't know if Cloud was sleeping, or sick…But hey, Reno had a job to do.

The Turk made his way over to the side of Cloud's cot, kneeling down as he grabbed a fistful of the sheets and tugged them lightly. Cloud's eyes were closed and he looked exhausted. It was written all over his face.

Reno sighed out lightly. Just seeing Cloud like this, he didn't want to bug him, or wake him up.

He pushed himself to his feet and wandered over to the desk, maybe he'd get lucky and he'd find what he was looking for.

Letters to grandma, notes to a nameless father, Lovenotes to old-time sweethearts, Invitations to birthday parties that occurred two weeks ago…nothing for Rufus Shinra…

Giving up, he went back to looking around the room, looking back at Cloud, but…that was when something caught his attention, it was a calendar. It was almost completely covered by snapshots of Tifa, Denzel, Marlene, and Cloud all together as a '_family_,' a few of Yuffie, Cid, Vincent, and Barret, and a few other people that Cloud must have met on other occasions.

But right there, underneath all of the photographs, Reno found something interesting…

One of the date boxers was circled with a line of bright red ink, as if it had been done in a fit of angered haste. There were words scribbled in the box, written in Cloud's hand-writing.

It wasn't a reminder for a birthday, or a social-date, a get-together, or an important meeting, it wasn't pay-day, and it wasn't the day that he was quitting his job, or the day that he was finally paying a high-class whore to get him off of his mopey little blond ass…

Nope…

It was an anniversary.

Written right there and circled in red was

'_Zack died,'_

--

Reno forced himself to reread the words over and over, his throat going drier each time his eyes scanned over the colorful scribbles.

The anniversary of Zack's death…

It was yesterday…

_Yesterday_?

And Reno hadn't even _known_,

He'd had no idea what exact day it was, and when he thought about it, he actually didn't know what month it happened in, even if he'd had the feeling that that day was getting close. But still…maybe this explained why he himself was pining over the other so much more than usual.

So…that's what had Cloud so upset.

Reno frowned slightly, no matter how hard he tried to force a grin.

Kneeling back down by Cloud's side, he stared at the sleeping blonde. No wonder why they hadn't seen him, he must have been sulking in bed all day, then again…maybe Reno really couldn't blame him? But…maybe he could, Cloud didn't love Zack like Reno had. Reno would have expected this from himself…had he known about the specific day, but still…

Well…that wasn't fair.

It just wasn't fair.

Cloud deserved to be depressed over this, he had a reason. After all, Cloud had been there when Zack died, he watched him, talked to him, heard Zack's last words…Cloud had been the very last person to touch Zack before he died.

Someone, Reno was jealous of that.

It would have been hard, but maybe if Reno had been there when Zack was dying, maybe he really could have told Zack that he'd been madly, insanely, crazy in love with him?

Would he have been able to do it?

Reno couldn't say, Reno didn't know.

Letting out a sigh, he pulled the blanket back up and over Strife, only earning a small groan as the blonde turned onto his other side, the covers mussing as Cloud moved. The sheets shifted and spilled off of Cloud's back, revealing a sweaty canvas of tight skin. Reno sighed out and watched Cloud's back move with each breath he took.

He wondered idly if Cloud was dreaming of Zack.

Reno knew that he was thinking of him.

--

Absently, Reno moved a hand, wanting to reach out and touch the other, wanting to give him some kind of comfort. But…what was wrong with him? That wasn't all at like Reno. He must have been going delirious, or something.

Shaking his head, he rolled his eyes and dropped his head.

Well, what do you know?

'_To Rufus Shinra,'_

A manilla envelope stared up at Reno from just beneath Cloud's bed. Exactly what he was looking for. Snatching it, he stood up and didn't even bother to dust off his slacks as he moved to the door, whispering out one thing before he closed the door behind himself, "Thanks Strife,"

He bid his farewells to Tifa and Marlene, leaving behind Seventh Heaven and leaving behind one very sleep-ridden and dream-haunted blonde, kinda wishing that he could just go back to Cloud…

Maybe, if he had, they could mope together?

It would certainly be appropriate, no matter how awkward it was for him to be wishing that.

**Author's Notes:** _Okay, so yeah…this story has been way insanely fun for me. I hope that you guys like it!_


	4. In the Most Unlikely of Places, Comfort

In the most unlikely of places, Comfort

_In the most unlikely of places, Comfort_

**Author: **_TynDawn_

**Rating: **

**Warnings (If any): **_Language,_

**Pairing(s): **_As always…the insinuated ZackxReno, but oh…might there be another pairing a brewin' ?_

**Disclaimer:**_ I am in no way affiliated with Square-enix and do not own any of the mentioned characters, places, etc... and am merely borrowing them for entertainment purposes and will return them in mint condition back to the shelf from whence they came._

**Summary: **_Zack's past has always been filled with mystery, and certain things have never been revealed. Such as his history with a certain red-headed Turk and what that man goes through when the SOLDIER that he was forced to hunt down like a wild animal left his life forever._

**Author's Notes: **_Right well, I could keep going on about how I didn't mean for this to be so long…but, Eh, I'm sick of saying that. Instead, I'm gonna say, I'm exhausted…utterly truly exhausted, and I really have no idea where this story is going, It's just going down as it pops into my head. Hope it makes at least a little bit of sense._

He felt like a bastard.

Well…more than usual.

This was like…advanced bastard condition.

He just couldn't seem to believe it, or just how crummy he really felt about this whole thing.

He'd forgotten the day that Zack had died.

He fucking forgot that Zack had died yesterday, five years ago.

He fucking forgot.

He just lived yesterday through like normal when he should have gone and been remembering Zack…well, actually, he did that too much already, if anything…he should have at least visited that ridiculous shrine-type-thing that Cloud had set up, which was really no more than Zack's sword jabbed into the ground.

But…he could have at least visited, or put some flowers down…something…anything…

But, he'd done absolutely nothing,

Nothing at all.

Sighing out, he made it over to the Shinra building, going through security and up to Rufus' office, he rapped on the door. Rufus had said not to come, but how else did he expect to get those papers? There was no way he was leaving something important at the front desk. The receptionist Weddie, would have covered it in nail-polish and potato-chips in less than an hour.

But, when he made it into Rufus's office, there was no way for him to escape that glare, no matter how much Reno avoided his boss's gaze.

"Something really is wrong?" Rufus observed, snatching the envelope away and opening it with a sharp fingernail, going through the papers and glares of everything between approval and disappointment and pure unadulterated disgust.

Reno looked down, he really shouldn't have been explaining this, it wasn't anything for Rufus to worry about, "It's nothing boss," He grumbled out, "I uh…I've gotta go do something," He excused himself, turning away, and was stopped for only a brief moment by Rufus' curt reply,

"Have it your way,"

Reno looked down before he moved again to the door, leaving without looking back, "Yeah…See ya 'round boss,"

--

Reno was lying though; he didn't have anything to do. After he'd left the Shinra building, he made a small trip to his car, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and slipping one between his teeth. Drawing in a deep drag after it was lit. He could practically feel the nicotine and tar eating him away, just like it had been for at least eight years. He pulled it from his lips and went to blowing a small colony of perfect circles, watching each one idly as it drifted up and up before the particles of wind tore it apart.

He realized then, that he felt like one of those smoke-rings.

Right now, it felt like his mind wanted to be ripped away in so many directions, by so many different things. There was just, too much on his mind.

Zack's death.

Wanting him back.

Wanting to get over him.

Trying not to focus on how much he wanted Zack and had to get over him.

Feeling like he had to do something for Cloud.

Wanting to try and make amends to Cloud and the rest of avalanche.

Trying to redeem himself just a little bit.

Closing his eyes, he relaxed as he sat on the hood of his car. A nice sleek, black car, low to the ground and carrying a silent essence of power, the type of car that big company lap-dogs owned and cared for more than their lives.

He wanted a Jeep.

Rufus said no.

Bastard.

Suddenly, Reno's train of thought was interrupted by the loud whine of a cell-phone going off. He jumped, and bit down on the cigarette in his mouth, holding it in place as he snatched the phone from his pocket and smacked it up to his ear,

"Yo?"

"Reno…" A voice fell into his ear, making him furrow his brow; it couldn't be, "It's Cloud,"

It was.

Reno's jaw fell open, the burning stick of tobacco falling into his lap and biting at the cloth of his pants, making him leap up to his feet as he gave a quick curse and slapped it away. He should have known it was Cloud, no one else could ever sound so melancholy, but it was easy to tell that Cloud was more depressed than usual. Reno didn't need five seconds to figure out why.

Zack.

"Hey Strife, What's with the social-call?" Quite honestly, Reno was damn-right shocked. Cloud had never once called him before, why would he now?

"Tifa said that you came by earlier,"

"Oh, yeah…I did, I had to pick something up for Rufus, But you were sleepin' yo," Reno gave a small unhappy growl as he observed the front of his pants. Right there, over his crotch, was a small perfectly circular burn mark with tiny little frayed edges, making a perfect little peep window to see the nose of a moogle that was printed on his boxers.

After all…Zack's were still in the dryer.

Cloud gave a silent nod, "So you found it alright then?" Reno blinked in confusion, Cloud was actually, making…small-talk? Really?

Apparently so.

"Yup, Even in that big mess of yours," Reno managed to laugh a bit, and even if the red-head couldn't see it, just hearing Reno laugh made Cloud manage a weak smile as he pulled the covers back up over his naked shoulder, burrowing back down into the worn sheets on his dust-ridden cot.

"You could have woken me up," Cloud pointed out, and Reno sighed,

"Yeah…I could have, but you would have complained," Reno snorted and gave a quiet hum as he opened the door to his car, after a tiny intermission of silence, he spoke up again, "Hey…Cloud?"

Cloud grunted in curiosity,

"How you would feel about getting out sometime tonight, huh?" Reno was making a bold move there, one that he had no idea why he was making it, "I've heard you've been overworking yourself again," A lie it was, oh well, it had good intentions behind it, "It would do you some good,"

Cloud lowered his head for a moment, rolling over onto his back and stretching an arm behind his head, falling silent.

Getting out?

He opened his lips to say no, but…closed them and thought on it once more,

Maybe it wasn't really such a bad idea after all?

"Yeah…" Reno seemed shocked by Cloud's answer, "I think…I think that would be good,"

Reno laughed to cover up his surprise, "Good to hear Cloud, I'll drop by later tonight,"

Cloud gave a breath and pushed himself up, swinging his feet over the side of the cot and letting them press against the floor as he played with his own hair, "Uhm, Reno?" He said before the phone-line ran dead, once more catching Reno off guard,

"Yeah Strife?"

"Think you could come by a little…earlier, maybe…now?"

Reno could have shit a brick right there, but he grinned as he started up his car, "Sure, I just gotta go do something first, and no letting that Tifa talk you out of it because I'm a bad influence. You got that?" Obviously, Reno was more than amused.

"I got it,"

And Cloud laughed

Cloud fuckin' Strife…

_Laughed_.

Fuckin' laughed.

**Author's notes:** _Alright, so I don't think Jeeps exist in Midgar, but y'know what? Oh well, Reno just looks like a Jeep guy to me. And ugh, this chapter is short…I just couldn't seem to beef it up anymore. Curse me and my short chapter lengths…_


	5. When Impossible is Eliminated

: Part Four :

**: Part Four :**

_When Impossible is Eliminated_

**Author: **_TynDawn_

**Rating: **

**Warnings (If any): **_Language,_

**Pairing(s): **_The usual (( ZackxReno )) But…lookie here, You'll just have to read to see if any others might be poppin' up_

**Disclaimer:**_ I am in no way affiliated with Square-enix and do not own any of the mentioned characters, places, etc... and am merely borrowing them for entertainment purposes and will return them in mint condition back to the shelf from whence they came._

**Summary: **_Zack's past has always been filled with mystery, and certain things have never been revealed. Such as his history with a certain red-headed Turk and what that man goes through when the SOLDIER that he was forced to hunt down like a wild animal left his life forever._

**Author's Notes: **_Mmm, Yeah, This is goin' good. I've discovered that Reno and Zack are my two favorite characters to write for. And I've also discovered that I do believe that I've lost almost all of my audience, oh so sad…maybe people just aren't into yaoi as much as they used to be? What a world…what a world, such anguish!_

"Yeah, Thanks Tseng, I owe ya one!"

"I won't hold my breath," Replied the almost too somber Turk as he clicked his phone shut, wondering just what he'd gotten himself into. Reno had made such an…odd request. Tseng just didn't quite understand it, But Reno hadn't even given him a moment to ask just why he needed…

Sighing out, Tseng went on his way,

The red-headed Turk had spunk, Tseng couldn't deny that.

--

"Hey! That's not fair, yo!"

Reno complained with a laugh as Denzel flung himself across Reno's back, while Marlene giggled and laughed as she thread plastic flowers into Reno's hair that she had woven into a nice little braid. Across the room, Tifa was obviously enjoying herself, perched up on one of the bar-stools, her legs crossed as she laughed quietly in amusement at the look on Reno's face.

It was funny to find Reno in such a situation.

After all, he was a Turk.

He killed without remorse for a living, slept with more women than he could name, drank and smoked so much that he should have been numb from the neck down…but damn, he was good with kids. Kids were a bit of a weakness for him, but he really didn't like to admit it, but he didn't have to. Rufus knew about it from the few times that Reno had saved a kid or two during his missions…especially if it ended up involving a shoot-out. He'd always hide the kids away, and cover them until it was safe, or he'd clear them a path and either tell them to follow him, or run.

For a Turk, his weakness was a dangerous thing…but right now, it wasn't so bad.

At least it was distracting, at any rate.

Right now, Zack seemed to be the thing that he was least worried about, which was a relief, to say the least.

That was when Denzel and Marlene's attention drifted away from Reno, caught by the sound of soft padding footsteps growing closer. Reno lifted his head, and just as he thought…

Cloud.

Reno couldn't help that insanely large and slinky grin that ensnared his features.

"About time you got down here, Strife!" He beamed, almost too glad for his own good, "What kinda friend are you, Making me wait with these pests?" It may have sounded like an insult, at least contextually, but it was said all in good humor, clarified by the children's laughter.

But…something was wrong in the picture, Cloud…he was still frowning, and he still had that mist of sadness raining over him. His eyes were unusually dark, his skin paler than usual, in fact…the poor blond looked almost sickly. Then again, knowing Cloud and his sulky ways, the delivery-boy had probably been too depressed to eat for days. Maybe why was part of the reason as to why he seemed a little on the thin side? Reno didn't really know, earlier that day, Reno hadn't gotten a good look at Cloud, but now that he had, he felt...

Guilty.

But…why would he feel guilty?

He hadn't done anything wrong,

He wasn't the one who killed Zack; sure…he would have if he had the chance…but only because it was his job.

That was right, Reno was willing to kill the only person that he'd ever cared about more than himself, just because it was an order.

Even Denzel and Marlene could sense Cloud's gloom, to which they soon scampered off, seeking cover next to Tifa.

"Come on Cloud, cheer up a little, will ya?" Reno snorted, Trying to lighten the mood, "I even got all dolled up for ya, yo," He said as he pushed himself to his feet and began tugging remnants of plastic flowers out of his hair, trying to untangle Marlene's unruly braid before he handed the pieces back to the girl, "Here ya go,"

It was a shame that Reno looked at Marlene at that moment, because, if he hadn't, he would have seen just a tiny smile breaking Cloud's lips.

"Let's go, I've got a quick job to finish tonight," Cloud finally spoke up to Reno's contentment,

"Well then," Reno grinned, turning back to Tifa and giving a wave, "See ya 'round Lockhart,"

And then they were gone.

--

Reno led Cloud over to his car, remaining cool and calm in the situation, even if Cloud's sulky mood made him want to frown, "Since you're not much of a drinker, mind if we go somewhere quiet?" Reno spoke up as he slid into the car, watching Cloud do the same.

Cloud only nodded, letting his attention move out through the window, "Sure, that sounds good," At least Cloud was easy when it came to agreeing.

Reno sighed out and turned on the car, vaguely wondering what the hell he was thinking, before he adjusted his mirror and looked into the back-seat. Right there, in a white plastic bag, he could see blooms and blossoms of dark blues and whites peeking out.

'Thanks Tseng,'

Adjusting his mirror back, he pulled the car out onto the street and drove off, out of Edge, past the remnants of Midgar and straight to the cliff…

The cliff where Zack died.

--

It was quiet on the way there, lucky that it really didn't take them all that long to get out there. But somehow, Cloud had managed to fall asleep. Maybe the poor guy really wasn't sleeping back at the bar, maybe his nights had been insanely restless…or maybe, Reno was just boring?

Either way, maybe it was better that way.

When they finally got there, Reno pulled the car right up to it, Maybe ten feet away from the relic that had been placed there.

Taking a second glance, he noticed something…weird.

A pile of white and yellow flowers were mounded up at the bottom of the sword.

Sighing out, he shook his head,

Cloud…

He reached in the back, and grabbed the sack of flowers before nudged Cloud's shoulder.

"Yo, Cloud," He said quietly, trying to be at least a little considerate.

Cloud groaned out slightly, letting one eye flutter open and face Reno as he rolled his attention back inside the car, sitting up and opening the door, "Sorry about that," Cloud excused himself, "I haven't really been…sleeping," He mumbled out, feeling as if he needed an excuse.

"Nah, It's fine. C'mon," Reno ushered as he jerked his head, sliding out of the car and moving to the big Buster sword that protruded from the ground.

Zack.

He died right here.

Took his last breaths, and Cloud had been there for all of it.

Reno felt the tiniest swell of jealousy, but threw it away as he slipped down onto his knees, holding the clump of flowers in his hands as he stared down at the other flowers there.

The Turk didn't even look back at Cloud when the blonde moved to his side,

"You came here yesterday…right?" Reno asked, looking down as he moved a hand forward, brushing his fingertips over the rusty and weather-beaten edge of the sword. Cloud moved down beside him, as he gave a nod.

"Yeah…I did," He admitted, swallowing thickly, "I come here…every year,"

Reno frowned as he carefully took his own armful of flowers and placed them right next to the ones that Cloud had left yesterday, "Yeah…I guess you would, huh?" Reno turned his head away and lifted a shaky hand to his face, wiping away…something, "I haven't been here since…" He cut himself off, "Since we found the body..."

Those aqua-marine eyes of his suddenly snapped shut as a bitter feeling welled up in the back of his throat.

Zack wasn't just a body; he had been a person, dammit!

Sure, Reno wasn't there when Zack died, but he'd been the first one to actually see the aftermath. He still remembered coming upon the body, collapsing onto his knees next to the corpse. Running his fingers over the dented and gun-shot metal, the smell of already decaying flesh, the way that Zack's eyes were so blissfully closed…just the memories brought bile up into his throat and nearly made him choke.

Reno had felt like the entire world had crashed around him, like everything inside of him had just shattered. It wasn't real enough to just hear that Zack had died, to hear the words, _'The target is down,'_ But…to actually see Zack's body, see the way he'd been bleeding, to actually see and touch that cold flesh, it was almost too much for him.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Reno forced himself to speak, "You miss him…don't you?"

Cloud nodded lightly, his features wanting to crack, but he didn't allow it, "Every day…"

"You guys had something special…didn't you? You guys always took care of each other, followed each other around like puppies," He laughed sadly at the thought, biting down on his tongue, "Sometimes, when I saw you two…I wished that…that I would have joined SOLDIER instead," Looking away, he blinked quickly, "I wonder what would have happened then, if it would have been any…different,"

Cloud didn't know what to say. It was odd, hearing these things from Reno…Reno, the guy who never seemed to have any regrets. Admitting now that he might have regretted joining the Turks.

"I would have _killed_ you Cloud…" He started again, "And…and if he wasn't taken down by the time that I got here," His palm went to the ground, "_I_ would have been the one to kill him," He swallowed again, forcing his heart back into his chest. Cloud seemed to understand, but then…when Reno continued,

"I fucking _loved_ him…and I was going to _kill_ him,"

Cloud's heart pounded in his ears, his eyes went wide as he slowly turned his eyes onto Reno's face, catching sight of just one tear before Reno angrily swiped it away. Reno gave a low and bitter laugh,

"Didn't think Turks could love…did ya?"

**Author's note:** _Oh boy, I just realized that I've been saying 'Midgar' I meant to be saying Edge…this is set after Advent Children, geeeze, I feel dumb. I'm a failure of an FF Fan!_


	6. Noose Around a Choking Heart

: Part Five :

**: Part Five :**

_Noose around a Choking Heart_

**Author: **_TynDawn_

**Rating: **_R-_

**Warnings (If any): **_Language, Character death, Graphic Descriptions (( ? ))_

**Pairing(s): **_Suggested ZackxReno, and ??_

**Disclaimer:**_ I am in no way affiliated with Square-enix and do not own any of the mentioned characters, places, etc... and am merely borrowing them for entertainment purposes and will return them in mint condition back to the shelf from whence they came._

**Summary: **_Zack's past has always been filled with mystery, and certain things have never been revealed. Such as his history with a certain red-headed Turk and what that man goes through when the SOLDIER that he was forced to hunt down like a wild animal left his life forever._

**Author's Notes: **_I want to send out a HUGE thanks to __Silver Tears 11__ for their reviewing and their comments. Quite honestly, you my friend, are awesome! (( Even if I don't actually know you xD ))_

_Also, the title of this chapter came from Nightwish's song 'Bye Bye Beautiful,' I did not come up with it, I am not that clever. It just seemed to fit for the mood that I wanted for this chapter, and I really liked the image that it conjured up in my twisted little head._

_Special Note; The following italics beneath the line are a flash-back_

"_So Cloud…" A light nudge against his shoulder had blonde glancing up and over at the dark-haired and higher-ranked SOLDIER, "Got someone '_special'_ back home…?" A playful wink had Cloud flushing slightly and quickly turning his head away._

"_Uhm…Nnnh, Sorta," Cloud admitted, shrinking his head down between his shoulders. _

_Thinking about it, he sorta lied. No…he was lying. Even if part of him wanted to join SOLDIER to impress Tifa, he just…he really didn't know if she was why he was here anymore. She wasn't that certain special someone for him, besides, she barely even noticed him. _

_  
Why should she have ever noticed him anyway?_

She was tall for her age, thin, shapely, strong and determined, her figure certainly didn't hurt…even if her punches did. There had even been a time when Cloud had gotten lost in her eyes, they were so deep and caring…she had always been a comforter, that was her role in life…and everyone had always known that Tifa was going to make the world's greatest mother one day. But, he no longer pined after her like he used to, it wasn't her that he thought of when he was in bed anymore.

_It was…_

_Zack laughed a bit and shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest, "You can't be serious, Cloud? The girls back home must love you!" He grinned, "They always like the shy ones," He chuckled and hung his head, slumping his shoulders, before he perked up in a flash and beamed back at the younger one, "Besides, I'm sure the other guys back home just want to bang 'em from here to Wutai, huh? I've heard that Niebelheim chicks are pretty fine," He winked again, leaning in close to Zack._

"_No, not…not really," Cloud stuttered, flicking his eyes away quickly, trying to force the blush away from his cheeks. In a desperate attempt to avoid the subject of himself, he threw the question back into Zack's waaay too handsome face, "Wh…what about you?"_

_Zack looked confused and slid back, tapping his foot, "Well…I don't have anyone back home," He shrugged, as he let out a sigh and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, thinking idly on who had caught his eye, "And…he works for Shinra," _

"_H…he?"_

_Cloud looked astonished._

_HE?!_

_Cloud had NO idea that Zack…swung that way…But…but, it wasn't bad._

_Maybe…Maybe Zack liked…_

"_Yeah?" Zack laughed, "You didn't know, Cloud? I, uhm…I gave up on girls awhile ago, they just…" He paused a wrinkled his nose, "I dunno…but guys are just…more my style, y'know?"_

_Cloud looked relieved, but was still far on edge, was still in anticipation. _

_Was there a chance that maybe…he was the one that Zack liked, that Zack considered special._

_Gathering up his courage, Cloud spoke up, "…What's he like?"_

_Zack laughed a little and moved a hand beneath his chin, pondering it as he gave a large grin and turned his eyes up to the ceiling, "Well…he's pretty lanky, thin…doesn't look like a threat,"_

_Well…Cloud was lanky, thin, and he didn't look any more threatening than a two-week old kitten._

_So maybe,_

"_He's a Turk though…" Zack sighed out, "You've probably seen him; Red-hair, little tattoos right here…" Zack pointed to his cheek-bones with a dreamy sigh, "…E-mag rod," He said suggestively raising an eyebrow and winking back at Cloud, fully unaware that he'd just dashed the blond's hopes._

"…_R…Reno?" Cloud asked, his form slumping in disappointment,_

_Zack blinked, not aware that Cloud would know his name, but he gave a nod anyway, looking awfully proud, "Yeah…Reno…" He clarified; looking like another fit of puppy-love was about to come on, as he sighed out and leaned against the nearest wall, lacing his hands behind his head with a love-struck grin, "I'd kill for that guy in a heartbeat..."_

--

Cloud cleared his throat as he pushed the memories away, coming back to reality with the aid of the cooling air brushing across his cheek. "_He_ knew…" It was only obvious who Cloud was referring to.

Reno lifted his head lightly and glanced over to Cloud, furrowing his saddened brows in confusion, "Wh…what?"

"Zack…he loved you too,"

Reno's jaw dropped. Cloud couldn't be serious. Could he?

"He told me…" Cloud said sadly, just the tiniest bit of jealousy floating in the back of his mind, "He wanted you…more than anything, he thought the world of you…he really did," The blonde forced a thick swallow.

Reno's eyes went just a bit more glossy than before, "You…you can't be serious, Cloud," There was urgency in Reno's voice as he turned and moved to face Cloud, waiting for Cloud to say something, anything.

"I am," Cloud affirmed, sitting still as he tried to keep his throat from cracking in half from the weight of the words coming from his tongue.

"…What?" Reno mumbled, not fully understanding it. Zack…loved him too? No, he couldn't have…but it made sense, but if he did why didn't he say anything? "He…you _really_ mean that?" Cloud nodded, "But…why…why didn't he _tell_ me?"

Cloud looked over at Reno, narrowing his eyes, "You only cared about the list of whores you had in your pocket," The slightest curve of anger rose up into his voice before he screwed his eyes shut and hit his fist into the ground, "You were a Turk Reno, Turks don't love, _okay_?" He forced the words out bitterly, "If you wanted him, _you_ should have said something. You should have known that he _couldn't_ say something like that to you." Cloud couldn't help his growing frustration, "You. Should. Have. Known." Cloud smacked a hand over his mouth, letting out a hoarse choking sound, leaving Reno worried and feeling like the ultimate ass.

"Cloud…I…" Reno frowned, feeling like he just wanted to go limp, "I didn't know…I wanted to say something, but…" There was no excuse for it. Reno knew that Zack liked guys, it was easy to figure that much out. But, Reno didn't know that Zack liked…No, loved him. Reno didn't know. Reno didn't even know.

"But what?" Cloud looked back at him, "…Do you have any idea what it did to him to see you come back from the Honeybee Inn every other night?" Reno felt small, clenching his fits down by his side as an usual pain slicked over his eyes, "He was always so worried about you…You. Just You, Reno. Not even himself,"

Cloud bit down on his lip as another swift kick of memories bit down against the back of his skull.

_Zack was so…so cold, his fingers were stiff and his skin was pale, no longer bright and sun-tanned. Cloud could barely stand to look at him, but…at the same time, he just couldn't look away. Cloud could feel his body wanting to break, his breath so shallow, and his heart barely wanting to go on. It might have been the mako poisoning, but to say that it was because of the sight before him was much closer to the truth._

"_Zack" Cloud's voice instantly broke, quavering as he stared down at Zack. The blonde knew instantly, that there was nothing that he could do. Zack was going to die, right there and Cloud couldn't stop it._

"_On my behalf…" Cloud's eyes widened as he heard Zack, trying to absorb each word, not wanting to miss anything, knowing that Zack would never say anything again. He had to make sure, he savored this and fulfilled anything that Zack requested._

"_Your behalf?" With each word, Cloud had to swallow his heart once again._

"_That's right. You will…"_

"_You will…"Cloud breathed out quietly, just wishing that he could have done something, anything to just make Zack stay with him._

"_Live. You'll be my living legacy. My dreams, My pride, their yours now."_

"_I'm your living legacy," And Cloud meant it…_

_He knew Zack was fading, and he was just barely able to keep himself together…now sitting there with the Buster sword in his arms, he fought back his own tears, choking out against his sobs._

_  
That was when Zack tucked his hand into his shirt, tugging out a small folded rectangle of paper. Cloud stared in confusion and took it, giving a reassuring smile._

_Zack smiled one last time, and then he was gone._

_Cloud screamed._

Moving a hand, Cloud's fingertips slipped into his pocket, brushing over a corner of paper, biting down on his lip as he closed his eyes and plucked it out from it's dark confines. Holding it up in front of Reno's nose, he turned shameful eyes to the ground, "Here…Zack, he wanted me to give this to you…"

Reno's eyes shot up.

A letter?

The paper was old, worn, and had long since turned yellow from the ware of time. He could see smudges from the pen on the outside and where the ink had leaked. Taking it from Cloud's hand with shaking fingertips, he unfolded it carefully, as though it would crumble into dust.

He suddenly clasped a hand over his mouth and lurched when he saw the blood that was spattered on the lettering.

Reno didn't have to take a guess, it was Zack's blood; old and dried, but still as vibrant as the day that it had been spilled, but even worse than the blood…their was a tiny date scribbled in the corner, it was written yesterday exactly five years ago.

This was written the day before Zack died.

_Reno…I guess this is the last thing you'll ever here from me. I don't really know if I'll make it back to Midgar, and I know that if I do, you'll be right there waiting to shoot me. You were always a great Turk, never failed to finish a mission, did ya?_

_But…that's not…not what I wanted to say, I… _

_I wish I really could have been telling you this, instead of you reading it but, that doesn't matter anymore, you just have to know._

_I've been watching you…for a long LONG time, I haven't been able to get you off my mind, and Shiva I've tried. But everywhere I go, you're right there, right there and I can't get away. I could never say it to your face, afraid that you would laugh and think it was a joke…but I guess if you laugh now, I can't hear it, huh?_

_I…damn, this sounds too mushy for me._

_I love you Reno…I can't remember when I didn't love you, but…I can't do anything about it now, not with everyone in Shinra trying to find me. I didn't know how to tell you, but it's out now…just promise me that even if you're not okay with this, if I make it back to Midgar…no, when I make it back to Midgar…don't kick the shit out of me._

A bitter chuckle was the first thing to leave Reno when he finished reading that letter stained in blood, dirt, tears, and ink. A few fresh tears fell and joined the ones from five years ago, his breath hitching as he held it tight the letter tight in his hands, as though it could lead him right to Zack. He laughed again and dropped his head, a sob ringing from his lips.

That was it.

That was all that Reno could take.

He broke down, all at once and was surprised that anything was left.

"Fuck! FUCK!!"

He screamed at the top of his lungs, his body crumpling forward, cradling the letter close, tears falling unchecked from his eyes as he fell into what felt like delirium, he barely even registered the fact that Cloud had moved close to him and slung an arm over his shoulders, holding him tight to his side as small tears fell from the blonde's eyes as well.

It was just…too much all at once.

If Reno had just told Zack,

He could have had everything that he wanted,

He could have found a way for Zack to still be alive.

If Reno could have forced himself to tell Zack that he loved him, Reno would have found the strength to save him.

Author's notes: I feel pitiful, I just cried for the last hour while writing this. I hope my effort entertains you, hope you liked.


	7. With Only One way to Go

**: Part Six :**

_With only one way to go_

'…_You'll be right there waiting to shoot me…'_

'…_Never failed to finish a mission, did ya?...'_

'…_You just have to know…'_

'…_I can't get away…'_

'…_Don't kick the shit out of me…'_

'_...I love you, Reno…'_

"I know that it hurts, Reno,"

The red-head was having a hard time telling Cloud's voice apart from the words that he'd just read in that old letter. Telling now from then was getting so hard and he could barely open his eyes. All he could feel was the cold bite of the breeze against his neck as well as the fingers that he had digging down into the dirt below him.

"He's not here to love you like he always wanted to,"

Reno could faintly feel Cloud's hand against his back, but he wished that it belonged to Zack instead. Zack's hand would have been so warm and comforting and just as playful as ever. It would have taken away all of the pain and all of the hurt.

"There's so much that he wanted to say and do…but,"

But Zack was dead.

He was rotting in the ground right below them, nothing more than bones, and hair, and broken nails by now.

Nothing but a memory now.

Zack was just a memory.

But he had to be justified.

"So I'll do it,"

Reno's brows lifted in curiosity. Cloud would do it. Do what exactly? A better questions was 'What could Cloud do?' Confused, pained and lost aquamarine eyes lifted up and locked onto Cloud's, practically begging him to make it feel better somehow. Reno felt so weak and pathetic at this moment. He'd never felt like this before. Not once and he hoped that he never had to feel this way again. It felt disgusting. All he wanted was for all of the hurt to go away. He wished that Cloud could strip away everything, even if it meant pushing him off of the cliff to do so, but it was a foolish dream. The only thing that could make him feel better was a first class SOLDIER that had given up his life for Cloud.

"I'll love you, Reno…I'll love you for him,"

Reno's eyes closed and he shook his head.

"What, but Cloud, it…it isn't…"

"It isn't the same, I know," the blond moved in front of the redhead, moving a hand under his jaw and pulled his head up with that strong leather-clad grip that Cloud really didn't look like he was capable of. Reno was surprised by how good it felt. "This isn't really the way that I want it either," He admitted, "Face it, we both want Zack, but he's gone…this is the only thing that we can do now,"

"But…Cloud…" Reno tried to protest even if he didn't know what he'd say next.

Reno wasn't able to continue speaking when Cloud suddenly leaned forward, catching his lips heatedly and slipping his tongue along the lips of the red-head.

"Each other," He whispered out against Reno's lips as his tongue retracted for a split second, "We've got nothing but each other now…." The words were muffled and rang hard in Reno's head, causing his vision to blur, or was it just because Cloud was kissing him? Sure, he'd always wanted to get close to Cloud and consider him a friend, but this isn't what he had in mind. But back then he didn't think that it would feel so good.

He wondered; Is this the way that Zack would have tasted? Would Zack have kissed him with such slow compassion and such meaning? Would Zack have ran his hand up into his hair and toyed with it the way that Cloud did now?

Maybe…maybe he would have, but ever finding out was nothing more than a dream.

Reno didn't know, he'd kissed Zack once, but that was so long ago and it wasn't as loving as this, it hadn't been as slow or careful, then again, that entire situation with the lake was nothing but a huge joke.

As the kiss continued, Reno found his hands going to the back of Cloud's head, his fingers shaking as he moaned against Cloud's lips and closed his eyes. It was pure instinct for him to imagine Zack there in Cloud's place, but it was alright because he was pretty sure that Cloud was imagining that Reno was Zack too. At least they were on the same page, so it didn't hurt or anything.

From there, their movements got jerky and harsh, desperate and needing on both ends as the two of them eventually crashed down to the barren land beneath them, with Cloud hovering above the red-head. When the need for air became two great for the two of them, both of them pulled away and gasped to stop their heads from spinning so much.

With this eyes still closed, Reno panted as he now clutched onto Cloud's forearms, his breathing unsteady as his lips remained parted. His features were poised so delicately that Cloud almost could have mistaken Reno for someone else. No words were exchanged between the two as Cloud lingered above Reno. The blond moved a hand and caressed Reno's cheek before letting his touch move down the Turk's neck, his fingertips taking in every inch of skin as though it was covered with the finest of wine that was meant to be touched only by Cloud.

"Za…Zack…"

Cloud's hand stilled when heard the muted call from the red-head beneath him.

Zack…

All of this was still about him, just Zack.

Right now, there was no Cloud and no Reno.

What would Zack have done at this moment?

"…It's alright, Reno…"

Cloud soothed him as his hand continued to drift downward, down the middle of Reno's torso and brushing over his navel and then down to the waistband of his pants and further down. The blond could feel Reno's body arch up into his fingers as Reno tossed his head to the side, keeping his eyes closed as a low moan bubbled up from the base of his throat. However, Cloud's hand didn't tuck itself down into the confines of the Turk's trousers; instead, his touch skimmed over fabric and suddenly cupped Reno's hidden length, appreciating it through thin fabric, issuing a hiss from Reno as scarlet brows lifted in surprise.

Since when had Reno become so appealing?

Had it started when Cloud had begun imagining Zack's face instead of Reno's? Perhaps.

It may have been a sick thing for them to do, for both of them to be imagining a dead man in the place of the man that was in front of them. But as long as it was mutual, then it should have been fine. They were using each other and both of them knew it.

Moments later, Cloud's hand slipped under black fabric, finding amusement in the fact that there was no underwear blocking his way. He found a faint smile decorating his lips as he curled his fingers around the length between Reno's legs, squeezing softly and reveling in the melodious groan that flew from those pale lips that he suddenly found himself entrance with. His sword calloused hand wrapped around it and slowly began to glide over the heated and now straining flesh, toying gently with the very tip and pressing the pad of his thumb to the now weeping slit.

"Nnngh! …Zack…"

Reno said the name like a chant, tossing his head and causing his hair to scatter as he slowly bucked his hips upward, trying to get more of that heat and satisfaction. Cloud just watched Reno's face entranced, breath low as his own groin began to ache slowly. The blond didn't know how much longer he could stand looking at the sight as Reno's features twisted and distorted by fantasy and pleasure, being driven to the brink by Cloud's hand and a memory.

That wasn't good enough though and soon, Cloud undid the front of the other's pants, surprising Reno when he slipped the Turk issued uniform pants down to his knees. But Reno still didn't open his eyes, he only gave a ragged gasp and lifted one of his own hands to his lips, biting down hard upon his knuckle to muffle a groan. Cloud stopped and pulled Reno's hand from his mouth, kissing his bottom lip gently and lingering there as he continued to softly toy with Reno's now painfully engorged erection.

"No one can hear you out here…"

Cloud reminded the red-head gently as he pulled away and let himself trail down the other's body, coming to rest with his face mere inches from the center of Reno's desire. Reno barely had time to open his eyes before Cloud's tongue swept against the head of his girth, causing Reno's eyes to snap shut in ecstasy. It was so hot and so wet and Reno couldn't keep his thoughts straight anymore as he bit down on his lip, one of his hands seeking out one of Cloud's hands, dragging it up his chest and pressing the palm against his face.

As Cloud slowly began to draw Reno into his mouth, the red-head panted heavily, trying to keep himself under control and trying not to scream. However, that plan failed when Cloud's free hand slipped under the length that was venturing deeper into his mouth, he gently slipped his fingers against the testicles that hung right beneath it. He squeezed them softly as he silently appreciated the velvet skin encasing them, giving them their needed attention before his fingers slipped further down and gently ran his fingernails between the crevice in the other's backside, slipping between the skin. Gently, Cloud pulled his mouth back, dropping down a little bit and taking one of the impressively sized orbs between his lips, slowly running his tongue over it and giving it's twin the same treatment, Reno only moaned in a wordless show of impatience.

Pulling away from them, Cloud then pulled his own finger into his mouth before slipping it back down between Reno's cheeks, circling the entrance nestled between them but not venturing inside. Suddenly, he opened his mouth and took Reno's cock back into his mouth, grunting gently as he swallowed it whole and forced his gag-reflex back. Cloud's eyes water slightly, but Reno's eyes were closed anyway, so he didn't care, besides Reno was now too busy screaming and bucking his hips to care.

Slowly, Cloud wriggled his finger inside of the red-head and when he struck Reno's hidden sex-nerves, he knew it by the way that Reno bucked even harder into his mouth and screamed Zack's name out to the heaven's. His voice fell apart as he came deep in the blonde's throat, which in turn caused Cloud to pull back and cough hard from the taste, several drops of it falling to the thirsty ground.

"Z…Zack…"

Cloud looked up slowly at the call and smiled faintly.

They were both living in a fantasy with the same person and without each other.

Cloud sighed gently and leaned back over, locking his lips onto Reno's and kissing him slowly, allowing himself to linger and imagine Zack under him, panting and satisfied.

When reality was too much, they still had their fantasy, so they stayed there in their dream-world, only several feet from the final resting place of the man that they both loved far too much.

**Author's notes:** Wow…what a butt-load of updates, huh? Maybe I can keep this going? Let's hope so! As always, please review, cus it makes me feel loved and special and makes me write more 3 Oh! And also a word, I will be flying to Idaho on Sunday, and I won't be returning until March 16. I can't help it, it's for an anime convention, I'm such an otaku xD


	8. Epilogue

**: Epilogue :**

_Never forgotten_

Life continue on and on for the two of them while the red-head and the blond-haired angel held onto their dream world. Never could they, or would they forget the reason that they came to each other, or why they began to become attached to one another. Zack was always that special thing that pulled them together – and even a full year later Reno had simply insisted on keeping Zack's boxers. Cloud on the other hand, decided to keep his memories of the other – simply because they weren't slowly being eaten away by months.

It had of course been difficult for them at first, and whenever they were together; Reno never saw Cloud there, and Cloud never saw Reno there. They blissfully imagined the one man they both wanted.

However, even peaceful things can change for the better.

"Ngh…! M…more…!"

Delicate breaths became harsh as the blond arched up off of the soft covers of what was now considered 'their' bed, his fingers shaking as they dug into the soft cotton sheets. The redhead had only complied, eagerly pushing each of Cloud's buttons as he ravaged that surprisingly lithe and strong body that was carved beneath him.

They'd danced this dance a thousand times before and it never got boring, and Cloud was just as picky and hard to please as ever, but for some reason, Reno wouldn't have it any other way. He eagerly accepted each of Cloud's mood-swings and decision changes, and each of his spur-of-the-moment cravings. Reno certainly didn't mind satisfying the other.

With the sound of rain gently pouring from beyond their window, the two of them became lost.

Gradually, their movements and breathes fell apart, becoming sloppy and desperate as both figures were rushed to their peaks by heat and friction and sweat and touch and…and…

"Re…Reno!"

Never before had Reno heard his name like that…ever. Cloud had never screamed his name, he only screamed Zack's name…only Zack's. Reno's heartstrings wavered. Did this mean that they didn't need Zack anymore? Was he no longer their crutch? Was it really okay for Reno to love Cloud, and was it really alright for Cloud to love him back?

These questions dropped in importance when Reno tumbled over the edge of release, the end ripping through him as he collapsed onto Cloud, kissing his collar-bone and taking in all of the other's skin that he could with his palms, as if Cloud would disappear at any moment.

"…Cloud…"

And the blond smiled.

Zack wasn't a crutch anymore.

They didn't have to love him in order to stay together.

Somewhere, a never forgotten angel with a small x-shaped scar on the left side of his jaw smiled…somewhere.

**Author's notes : **Sorry for the lack of updates everyone! And I'm sorry if the ending to this seemed so sudden, I just really felt that it needed an ending to it. I wanted it short, sweet, and simple. Sorry for any disappointment.


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